HIV and Her Health: Understand the risk in Durham Region
Studies are showing an alarming increase in the number of Ontario Women who become infected with HIV. A quarter of all new diagnoses are women.This represents a 71% increase since 1992. The alarmingly high level of new HIV infections among Ontario women exceeds that of other Canadian provinces.
Equally alarming is that almost 40% of women estimated to be living with HIV in Ontario are still undiagnosed. Since a person infected with HIV may not appear to be ill for many years, infected women can unknowingly share their infection.
Equally alarming is that almost 40% of women estimated to be living with HIV in Ontario are still undiagnosed. Since a person infected with HIV may not appear to be ill for many years, infected women can unknowingly share their infection.
Fact: All Women Living in our Region are at risk for HIV Infection
Age and sexual orientation do not matter.
All women who are sexually active are at risk, and women who are sharing needles and other drug equipment, or receiving piercings and tattoos are at risk.
Babies born to infected mothers may be at risk of contracting HIV during birth or breastfeeding.
All women--regardless of religion, culture or
social background--are at risk.
All women who are sexually active are at risk, and women who are sharing needles and other drug equipment, or receiving piercings and tattoos are at risk.
Babies born to infected mothers may be at risk of contracting HIV during birth or breastfeeding.
All women--regardless of religion, culture or
social background--are at risk.
Why is the HIV infection rate going up for women?
There is a pervasive belief that women are not at risk for HIV, or that only certain communities are affected.
Many community service agencies do not know about the rising HIV infection rate for women.
It is also documented that medical doctors are not advocating HIV testing for women because they do not think their patients are at risk. And yet the design of a woman's body actually makes her especially vulnerable to HIV transmission.
Who is educating their patients about avoiding HIV infection?
Many community service agencies do not know about the rising HIV infection rate for women.
It is also documented that medical doctors are not advocating HIV testing for women because they do not think their patients are at risk. And yet the design of a woman's body actually makes her especially vulnerable to HIV transmission.
Who is educating their patients about avoiding HIV infection?
Education is one solution
Some women are not following safe sex practices because they do not realize they are at risk for HIV infection, and nobody is telling them otherwise. The professionals involved in a woman's life need understand the growing infection rate.
Support is another solution
Other women are unable to successfully advocate for their own health, and protecting these women from HIV infection is not simply a matter of distributing condoms or clean needles.
The social determinants of health--the socio-economic conditions, or risk factors, which influence individual and group differences in health status--can be a toxic combination of factors that infinitely complicates her ability to protect herself from HIV infection (please see the Social and Economic Issues page of this website for more information). A woman's race-ethnicity, mental health, economic status, education, home situation, food security, social relationships and her individual lived experience all contribute to her inability to protect herself from HIV infection. Living with sexual violence or coercion, with addiction, or living on the fringes of society also contributes to her vulnerability.
The AIDS Committee of Toronto, on its SHE website (www.http://shexchange.net), states: poverty, homelessness, lack of education, family dysfunction and parental substance misuse, mental health problems, and a history of sexual abuse are all social determinants that place women at higher risk of unsafe sexual behaviour, misusing drugs or injecting drugs--the behaviours that can lead to HIV infection.
The HIV/AIDS Sub-Committee will be exploring ways to reduce the unacceptably high rate of infection by working with the Durham Women's Health Coalition to devise ways to improve women's health throughout the Region.
Support is another solution
Other women are unable to successfully advocate for their own health, and protecting these women from HIV infection is not simply a matter of distributing condoms or clean needles.
The social determinants of health--the socio-economic conditions, or risk factors, which influence individual and group differences in health status--can be a toxic combination of factors that infinitely complicates her ability to protect herself from HIV infection (please see the Social and Economic Issues page of this website for more information). A woman's race-ethnicity, mental health, economic status, education, home situation, food security, social relationships and her individual lived experience all contribute to her inability to protect herself from HIV infection. Living with sexual violence or coercion, with addiction, or living on the fringes of society also contributes to her vulnerability.
The AIDS Committee of Toronto, on its SHE website (www.http://shexchange.net), states: poverty, homelessness, lack of education, family dysfunction and parental substance misuse, mental health problems, and a history of sexual abuse are all social determinants that place women at higher risk of unsafe sexual behaviour, misusing drugs or injecting drugs--the behaviours that can lead to HIV infection.
The HIV/AIDS Sub-Committee will be exploring ways to reduce the unacceptably high rate of infection by working with the Durham Women's Health Coalition to devise ways to improve women's health throughout the Region.
Educate her to empower her. Remove the stigma and start the
dialogue.
